Adjustable threshold structure



United States Patent 3,114,180 ADJUSTABLE SHGLD STRUCTURE Marvin W. Riedl, 17 18th Ave. S., Hopkins, Minn. Filed Mar. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 178,794 4 Claims. (Cl. 20-64) This invention relates to an improvement in a threshold structure for a doorway. More particularly, irnprovement is provided in adjustment of the threshold to have a proper sealing enga-gement with the bottom sur- =face of a closed door.

It is a common practice, as in erecting a new dwelling to install a threshold in a doorway and do the lfinishing work in the dwelling prior to the fitting of a door. It is quite a laborious task to properly fit a door. The bottom of the door must be cut down or shaved for a precise tting. This involved removing and installing the door on a trial and error basis. During this process it is not unusual for damage to be caused to the adjacent :finished portions of the dwelling.

The applicants threshold structure permits a door to be suitably trimmed at the bottom to a predetermined extent and any further adjustment necessary is effected in readily and easily adjusing the height of the threshold. Applicants structure makes unnecessary the trial and error method commonly used for iitting a door to a threshold. It is understood that resilient sealing strips are used in connection with some thresholds but even these require the door to be fitted within a very close tolerance.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a threshold structure whereby the adjustment is made in the threshold Afor properly fitting a door therewith.

It is another object of this invention to provide a threshold embodying means for vertical adjustment thereof relative to the supporting oor surface for the accurate and close tting of a ldoor therewith.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a threshold structure having integral therewith means for adjusting the height thereof with, the adjustment thereof being made with the threshold in operatling posit-ion and the door in connection therewith being in closed position.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set -forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying `drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. l is a broken view showing applicants device -in vertical cross section;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that in FiG. 1 on an enlarged scale showing some portions thereof in dotted line and in alternate position; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of applicants `device in vertical cross section showing a modification of a portion thereof.

With reference to FIGS. l and 2, applicants threshold structure is ind-icated generally by the reference numeral and is shown in operating position on a sill 19 and the adjacent ooring 11 and overlying sub-flooring 12. Only a fragmentary portion of the supporting structure is shown. A portion of a door 42 is indicated for reference purposes.

Applicants structure 15 may take on various speciiic forms `Within the applicants inventive scope. Within the embodiment here disclosed, applicants structure comprises a central elongated body portion 17 formed as a channel member having upwardly extending shoulder portions 18 and 19 at either side thereof, with said shoulder portions being indicated as being substantially rectangular in cross section. Said body portion with said shoulder portions 4at either side thereof is shown having an overall fiat bottom surface. Threaded upwardly centrally transversely through said body portion is an adjusting supporting screw 21 in the form of a set screw having a flat surfaced sill engaging head portion and a threaded shank portion received by the aperture 2t) of said body portion. Said aperture 20 is shown having an upwardly extending boss portion to lengthen the threaded area therein.

Extending longitudinally of said shoulders 18 and 19 and angled inwardly from the upper notched opposing corner portions thereof are arcuate slots 23 and 24 receiving therein under some degree of compression the opposite side portions of a transversely flexible resilient sealing strip 40. The flexing of said strip provides a degree of tension which together with the frictional engagement of the edge portions of said strip in said slots very nicely retains said strip in operating position.

Extending outwardly and inclined downwardly from said shoulder 19 for the full length thereof and being integral therewith is a plate portion 25 having an outer downwardly angled edge portion forming a supporting leg portion 26 having extending upwardly thereinto a longitudinal notch 27 receiving therein the rib portion of an underlying seal strip y28. The bottom surface of said sea-l strip 28 will lie in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the bottom surface of said body portion 17 and spaced therebelow for some distance, as indicated in FIG. 2.

Extending longitudinally of the upper outer corner portion of said shoulder 1-8 is an arcuate slot 32. Pivotally disposed inV said slot 32 is the marginal bead or arcuate portion 31 of a plate member 30 shown tapering in the direction of its free side edge portion. In operating position said plate member 30 will be angled downwardly to engage the floor 11. Said plate portion 25 will be at the out-of-.doors side of said threshold with refe-rence to the door 42 and the plate member 3) will be at the indoors side of said threshold. Thus the seal strip 28 forms a weather sealing strip. as to the base portion of the threshold.

Said plate portion 25 and said plate member 30 respectively will have disposed therethrough hold-down screws 30 and 34.

Y Operation The threshold 15 will be cut to a suitable length and will be disposed on sill portion 10 in a doorway. There will be a suitable number of set screws 21 spaced longitudinally of the threshold. Said set screws will -be preset to support the threshold at a certain height. The ydoor will be trimmed a certain amount at the bottom thereof in view of the setting of the set screws taking into .consideration the otherwise height of the threshold. The sealing strip 40 will be initially installed overlying the body portion 17 and will not thereafter be disturbed. The door will be placed in closed position overlying the strip. The threshold will then be adjusted as to height to provide just a `sufiicient engagement between the door and the sealing strip 4t) to form a weather seal. The weather seal will be deformed only slightly by the closing of the door when the threshold is properly adjusted.

Next the pivoted plate 30 will be swung upwardly and a flat Iwrench 38 will be inserted under the body portion 17 to engage the head portions of the set screws 21, with said hea-d portions preferably being hexagonal in form. The set screws will then be adjusted for the proper height of the threshold with the adjustment being made with the door in closed position. The holddown screw 30 will be partially inserted and will be iinally tightened with the final adjustment of the thresh- 3 old. The pivoted plate 25 will then be lowered and secured by the hold-'down screw 34. Thus the threshold is properly tted with the door in closed position and the rfitting is accomplished easily and eirciently eliminating entirely the trial and error method commonly used.

A modication of a portion of the applicants threshold structure is shown in FIG. 3 wherein the structure is indicated generally by the reference character and said structure comprises a central body portion 17 having an opstanding shoulder portion 18 having an arcuate slot 32 therein as indicated. Extending inwardly transversely of the base portion of said shoulder portion 18 is a threaded recess 1'811..

The pivotal plate member 59 has an upper marginal bead portion S3 disposed in said slot 32 and has formed therein centrally transversely thereof an angled recess S5 formed by the inwardly angled shoulder Si and having an aperture 54 through the rear vertical lwall thereof through which is disposed a screw 52 threaded into said recess 1Sa..

Thus the screw 52 forms a hold-down screw for said plate S0. The aperture 54 and the recess 55 will be of su-cient size to provide for a proper angular placement of the plate member 56.

Thus the hold-down screw 52 replaces the hold-down screw 34 shown in FIGS. l and 2, and which must necessarily be threaded into the underlying sill. In some installations it will be more convenient to secure plate mem'ber 58 to the body portion 17. lt has been found that the hold-down screw 39 in connection with the set screw 2.1 is sulcient to firmly anchor the threshold in position.

Thus it is seen that I have provided a very simply constructed threshold structure which is adapted 4for a quick and elhcient positive fitting in connection with an overlying door structure.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing lfrom the scope of applicants invention which, generally stated, consists in a structure capable of carrying out the'objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts dis,- closed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable threshold structu-re for a doorway having in combination, l

a unitary member comprising a central elongated body portion,

a downwardly inclined plate portion at one side of said central body portion rigid therewith and having a floor engaging free edge portion remote from said central body portion and in a plane spaced below the plane of the bottom surface of said central body portion,

a plate member at the other side of said central body portion pivotally carried thereby and having `a lioor engaging free edge portion yremote from said central body portion,

an upstanding adjusting kscrew in said central elongated body portion having a tloor engaging head portion adjustably positioning the height of said central body portion in connection with said rst mentioned free edge portion, and y a door secured hold down screw disposed through said `first mentioned plate portion.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1,

means releasably holding said pivoted plate portion in operating position to provide access to said head portion ofsaid adjusting screw.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1,

means engaging said central body portion releasably holding said pivoted plate portion in floor engaging operating position.

4. An adjustable threshold structure for -a doorway having in combination,

a unitary member comprising a central elongated body portion,

a downwardly inclined plate portion at one side of said central body portion rigid therewith and having a `floor engaging free edge portion in a plane parallel to and spaced below the plane of the bottom surface of said central body portion,

upstanding adjusting screws threaded upwardly into said central body portion at longitudinally spaced intervals thereof and having iloor engaging head portions, said adjusting screws supporting said central body portion in connection with said free edge portion for pivotal adjustment of said central body portion relative to said free edge portion, said head portion` of said screw being readily accessible for adjustment from the other side of said central body portion, and

a closure plate portion pivotally carried by said central tbody portion at its other side providing access to said adjusting screws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,794,220 Librnan June 4, 1957 2,880,476 Wahfeld Apr. V'7, 1959 2,880,477 v- Kunkel Apr. 7, 1959 2,947,043 Klemma Aug. 2, 1960 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE THRESHOLD STRUCTURE FOR A DOORWAY HAVING IN COMBINATION, A UNITARY MEMBER COMPRISING A CENTRAL ELONGATED BODY PORTION, A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED PLATE PORTION AT ONE SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION RIGID THEREWITH AND HAVING A FLOOR ENGAGING FREE EDGE PORTION REMOTE FROM SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION AND IN A PLANE SPACED BELOW THE PLANE OF THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION, 